Guardian
by Shipperwolf
Summary: The war with Jotunheim begins and Thor cuts ties with Earth to protect it. Jane is left to raise their child alone. It is only when her daughter begins playing with someone she cannot see that Jane realizes they were never alone at all. T/J, L/J.
1. Prologue: Conception

My friends!

I come with more idea-thingys.

I had the itch to write more Loki/Jane, but decided to take a slightly different avenue this time. I have some ideas for this, and it might be slow to progress, but I hope you will all stick with me patiently and forgive my horendous short chapters ;)

Also: Be prepared for some drama, maybe some angst..._maybe_ romance? :D And possibly a tiny bit of _creepiness_. Every now and again ;)

I'm kind of flying by the seat of my pants on this one. Just going with what the voices tell me. And while the voices are nice, I'd much rather have _your_ opinions! ^.^

I disclaim Thor and all related stuffs!

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><p>It was just as things seemed to be getting normal that everything suddenly fell apart.<p>

Her shiny silver mobile home in Puente Antiguo had been sold. SHIELD had hired her as a private consultant and researcher and bought her a spacious home in a large but friendly town not two hours from their headquarters.

And Thor had been living on Earth with her for a year.

Granted, he spent much of his time with SHIELD and the Avengers, donning his armor and taking up Mjolnir in defense of the planet he gladly called home. But in between missions, he walked about as a normal man, assisting her with her research (to the best of his ability) and bringing a joy to her life she had never known previously.

They were all but married, and she had been careful not to giggle like a schoolgirl when he would randomly ask her about their customs concerning such matters.

Their lives seemed normal and content, despite the moments of dread and threat when the Avengers were called into desperate action.

Jane Foster was happy.

And then it all ended.

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><p>He had flown away one morning toward the distant clouds gathering across the desert.<p>

He had returned that night with a new set of armor and a grim demeanor.

Odin Allfather had again succumbed to the Odinsleep. And Jotunheim had declared war on Asgaard not a few short days later.

The great realm was without a leader, and the Frost Giants were gathering their armies.

Thor had done what any prince would.

He took the throne.

And declared Earth cut off from the rest of the realms.

Just like that-within the span of a day, Jane's world came crashing down around her.

He'd pulled her to him and whispered his vow to return.

She'd fought through her tears to ask how long it would take.

A salt-laden drop rolled from his own eye when he told her the previous war had lasted years.

Their kiss had been desperate as he backed away into the waiting Bifrost site.

He had bared his teeth and looked away when she told him he would have a child waiting when he returned.

The wind carried him away.

And Jane was left alone.

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><p><strong>Please Review<strong>! I should update on this pretty soon to get it going. ^.^


	2. In Utero: Phantom Warmth

***GASP***

I cannot believe I just wrote the second chapter this quickly. It normally takes me FOREVER to write mult-chaps. And update them.

Thank you Loki! I wuv you. ^.^

I also love you gais for reading and reviewing so willingly :D

And look, look! This chapter is a bit longer! It'll probably flucuate though, depending on how much caffeine I've had when I write ;) Or how clear my ideas are o.0

Please let me know how you gais like it so far. And prepare for the hint of _creepiness_ I mentioned earlier. :D

Enjoy!

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><p>It was in the seventh month of pregnancy that the pain became too much.<p>

It was also the month she began to think she was losing her mind.

Sleeping became a hassle. Struggling and kicking within her womb, her abnormally strong daughter kept Jane on her toes and wincing in pain wherever she went.

It was like a battle. Her child's Asgaardian blood already seemed to crave it.

The girl had been mostly quiet and calm up until the sixth month, when the kicking suddenly started up, followed by the slight punches, followed by the rolling in position at least once every four or five hours.

The activity was accompanied by discomfort when the child struck her from within.

And back pain….lots and lots of back pain.

The doctors (SHIELD appointed—"the best", Coulson had assured her) insisted all was normal. The girl's activity was a bit higher than others, but nothing to be concerned of. The back pain was due to her small frame reacting to the weight on her abdomen—again, nothing to worry about. Her daughter was healthy, and strong (they could not stress s_trong_ enough). Everything would be fine, but her pain was something she would have to deal with.

After the sixth month passed into the seventh, things got worse. She tossed and turned, struggled to find a comfortable position. She used electric heating pads and took the allowed amount of painkillers when it was too much to bear.

Nothing helped.

And that's when the dreams started. And the 'ghost' came.

* * *

><p>It was late one night when she first noticed it.<p>

Through gritted teeth, soft hisses spilled between them as she shifted to her side and rubbed the round balloon that was her stomach. Her eyes grew heavy, her sight, a haze. Her senses dulled and she felt she would nearly find sleep in the early morning hours despite the aching in her back.

Then she would try to shift, only slightly.

And the sharp pain would hit her again.

"Damn!" Jane pursed her lips and scolded herself. She did not like to curse, and did not want her daughter to hear such language from her even in the womb.

But God, the pain….

She slammed her eyes shut. Commanded them to remain so. Begged relief to come and allow her sleep.

And then it did.

Her eyes shot open when she thought she felt something brush against her lower back.

It was soft, barely noticeable—almost as if her nightshirt had simply shifted against her skin a bit.

Then the warmth came.

Slight at first, and then growing. And deepening. And _seeping_ into her skin. Coiling around her strained muscles, it seemed to wrap her entire lower back in heat and bring instant relief.

Her muscles relaxed. Her body settled.

Her mind acknowledged the confusion but could not concentrate on it.

Jane gazed half-lidded at the window in her room. The soft moonlight outside seemed surreal. Sleep was too close for her to concern herself with what had just occurred.

The warmth faded when her consciousness did.

She awoke the next morning and knew it had just been a dream.

Except it happened again, in the exact same manner, three nights in a row.

* * *

><p>By the fourth night, Jane decided to abandon her current research in favor of going to bed early.<p>

She took her normal position on her side. Faced the window as always.

Waited.

Her voice found her nearly thirty minutes later when her daughter kicked her. Her gasp was loud enough to snap her from the lulling doze she had been falling into.

Jane rolled to the other side.

Recognized the pain shooting into her back.

She closed her eyes and tried to will it away. It was almost an hour before she normally sought sleep. She was exhausted, but still awake.

And still very much aching.

She breathed deep, trying to relax herself. Settle her own muscles and yet remain alert just in case….

Fingers brushed her back.

_Fingers._

She knew she felt them.

The familiar heat immediately followed.

Her back stopped hurting.

Jane kept her eyes closed and prayed. Not to God, but to Heimdall.

"_Tell Thor my house is haunted!"_ Was her first thought.

She bit her lip and despite her fear, wanted to laugh at herself.

Of all the things Jane had experienced since meeting Thor, ghosts—_somehow_- -seemed farfetched.

Her breathing was hitched. The warmth suddenly disappeared.

Jane chalked it up to nerves.

There was no heating-pad fairy sneaking into her room every night to heal her aching back.

And there were no ghosts.

She was nervous about having her super-powerful baby. And raising it by herself (with Darcy as the self-proclaimed "Auntie" and the assorted Avengers swearing to be at her right hand whenever she needed them).

She sighed into the darkness.

There was no-one in her home.

She was alone.

* * *

><p>On the fifth night, the fingers returned.<p>

In the form of a _hand_.

Instantly hot, it practically shot quick-soothing heat into her rigid muscles and her body responded by relaxing like a limp noodle.

Jane's eyes went wide. Her breaths came out short and terrified.

A tear formed in the corner of her eye when, for just a split moment in time, she thought maybe, s_omehow_, it was Thor finding a way to lessen her agony from across the universe.

That thought was replaced by the fact that the hand that pressed into her was quite a bit smaller than Thor's. Thor had gigantic hands.

And the very idea was almost as ridiculous as ghosts and fairies.

Jane silently willed her limp body to regain strength.

Bolting upright in bed, she turned and looked across the room. In the mild white light from her window, she saw nothing. Tentatively, her hand reached out and felt the air near the side of her bed.

She felt no warmth.

Everything seemed completely normal.

The tear that had formed suddenly rolled free down her cheek, dripped hot off of her skin and landed on her resting hand.

Jane decided she was losing her grip on reality.

The stress was driving her mad.

In the midst of her fear, her confusion, and her utter loneliness, she found her voice and spoke to the absolute nothing in her room.

"Please stop."

Jane had to chuckle tiredly and sardonically at herself. She was asking no-one to stop doing something that she was just imagining anyway.

She fell back against the pillows, cradled her abdomen, and slept propped up slightly on her back.

Jane knowingly ignored the fact that the warmth did not return to soothe her pain the following night.

Or the next night.

Or the next.

Or the next….

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><p><strong>Humor<strong> and **Drama** and **Sweetness **and **CREEPINESS.** Anyone else feel like they were watching a horror movie? ;) I did, and I wrote it! :D


	3. Yr 1: Whispers

**You guys, seriously:** I adore you all.

Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the great responses. I hope you continue to enjoy this wierdness I'm writing.

Here's the next installment-written at 3:30 am, mind you. If you spot any errors please let me know?

Also- guys, I'm sorry, but: more creepiness ahead. I apparently like making Loki creepy. :D

Don't worry, it will ease off in time.

Also: I want to make everyone aware that this story will be skipping ahead in time per chapter. You'll get a better idea in later chapters I think.

Please let me know how you feel so far!

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><p>Kari Gracelyn Foster was one of the most well behaved infants in the world.<p>

Although, if Jane was honest with herself, her daughter was one of very few infants she had actually spent an extended amount of time with.

But for the first five months of Kari's life, she was literally a godsend. Quiet and happy, Kari only cried when hungry.

Jane actually had to regularly check her daughter's diaper throughout the day, never knowing if she needed changing; the girl never seemed bothered by anything aside from her never-ending appetite.

Not that this really bothered Jane. On the contrary- the new mother was absolutely relieved that her little half-Asgaardian angel was not nearly as violent as she'd behaved in the womb.

She actually seemed to laugh more than cry.

Until her teeth started coming in.

It was as if the gates of hell had opened and Kari had a front-row seat to what was behind them.

When the first signs of bone began pushing their way through the baby's gums, the screaming started.

During the day, during the night; she even whimpered helplessly in her sleep.

Jane let her daughter gnaw on her fingers at first. As the weeks passed, and a tooth started breaking, she switched to cold teething-rings. For days on end Kari was placed in her crib with one.

At first, it seemed to work.

And then Jane began to look in on her and find the rings punctured; a tiny, singular hole allowing the goo inside to leak out.

The crying began anew.

Another tooth started to break.

Jane started using children's numbing medication.

Little Kari only screamed louder in response.

As days passed as such, Jane found herself wondering where her little joyous princess had disappeared to.

Could a baby's voice even _get_ that high?

She took to rubbing the girl's gums with an ice-cube before trying to go to bed at night.

She also took to hiding her ears under her pillow and sobbing at the sound of her only daughter's pain-filled cries.

* * *

><p>The third tooth began breaking, the screams became constant, and Jane knew it was not just her that lost sleep as a result.<p>

The pink skin under Kari's eyes was getting dark.

Not even Erik with his soothing accent could coo the little fret-monster to sleep.

"Auntie Darcy" had long given up on trying to make Kari giggle.

By the time the whispers started, Jane had actually gotten _used_ to the sound of a crying infant.

* * *

><p>That was how she first noticed it.<p>

One night, several days after Erik and Darcy had departed, Jane snapped from a half-sleep to the sound of silence.

Or, silence enough: Kari's late-night whimpers were unheard.

Instead, Jane thought she heard a voice.

Her heart stopped.

Started up again, in a panicked rhythm.

Her feet threatened to buckle under the sheer force of her jumping from her bed and landing hard on the carpet.

She ran in a haze, the darkness of her home doing nothing to slow her down; she knew every inch of it by memory.

Kari's crib was in the room directly across from her own, but it seemed to take centuries for her to reach it.

By the time she stood- breaths quick and eyes wide—staring down into Kari's crib, pure silence filled the home.

Kari was sound asleep.

Jane blinked and looked around quickly.

She placed a hand over her chest and laughed at the intense pounding of her heart.

There was indeed a name for the voice she'd _thought_ she heard.

It was called sleep deprivation.

* * *

><p>The following night Jane had regrettably put her daughter to bed whining in pain. Placing a remorseful kiss on her head, she smiled sadly and wished for time to speed up and give her baby a full set of teeth already.<p>

She fell asleep to the sound of crying.

And awoke, one hour later, to the sound of giggling.

Jane sat up. Stared toward her doorway into the hall. Listened.

Kari was laughing.

And someone was whispering to her.

The previous night repeated itself in the form of Jane rushing like a madwoman into her child's room. This time, she turned on the light.

Whirled around and took in every detail.

The crib sat in a far corner. Assorted playthings in the other. A small set of drawers with her clothes stood against a wall. A changing table set up beside it.

Nothing else.

Kari was awake, reaching up to her from her crib, a small smile on her face.

Jane sighed, leaned down to pick her up.

"Kari Foster, you've kept me up too late on too many nights. I'm starting to lose my mind. Again."

Her baby giggled at her.

Jane smiled and cocked her head to the side.

She frowned.

The laughing girl seemed to be looking _behind _her mother.

Jane swore she felt a breath on her ear. Her hair flew as she whipped around. Saw nothing.

But decided to pull Kari's crib into her room with her that night nonetheless.

* * *

><p>A week passed with Kari sleeping in Jane's bedroom with her.<p>

As the nights passed her wailing began to re-intensify.

It was on a Sunday that Jane found herself trudging to the kitchen at three o'clock in the morning to fetch an ice-cube. Memory guided her as she gripped the small block of ice. Tiny freezing droplets of water dripped from her fingers as it quickly began to melt in her warm grasp.

She rounded the corner to the hallway.

And heard the whispering again. She stopped dead. She could hear it a bit clearer than before.

It sounded like a man, but he was either speaking a different language, or was speaking so lowly she could not decipher the words.

Jane gripped the cube of ice so hard it bit her palm with agonizing cold.

She flipped the hallway light on as she stepped into her bedroom.

Kari was quiet again.

Jane bit her lip in frustration.

"Enough! I don't know what this is, but….but….if you're here, show yourself!" She _tried_ not to shout, but her voice rose in a fear-fueled pitch despite her efforts.

Jane stood in the middle of her room, hands on her hips, bottom lip threatening to tremble.

Aside from the now soft cooing coming from the nearby crib, she received no answer.

A chill ran through her.

She looked down at her hand and remembered she'd dropped the ice-cube in the hall.

Goosebumps ran up her arms and she again tried to convince herself she was overreacting.

It was because she hadn't slept. That was all.

She went back to bed, repeating the mantra in her head.

* * *

><p>The midnight ghost-voice continued to haunt her daughter every time Jane let her guard down.<p>

The next week saw Erik returning for another visit. Sitting on the couch of her living room, Jane gathered herself and looked her father-figure in the eye.

She told him of the strange events.

The look he gave her had her own mind racing with a sudden, terrible suspicion.

Faint whispers. Disembodied voices.

Erik had experienced such several years ago….

When the being known as Loki had used him to get the Cube.

Loki Laufeyson, formerly Odinson. Thor's brother.

Jane's body shook, her entire frame suddenly feeling cold.

Erik laughed nervously as he handed her a cup of coffee.

"Jane, I know what you're thinking. I wouldn't go jumping to any conclusions. No-one has seen….him….since the Avengers subdued him. Since Odin punished him….." She heard him trail off and raised her eyes to his.

They grinned at each other.

"Right. I'm sorry, I just…. I think I just need to start taking a sleep-aid or something."

They laughed, drank coffee and watched Kari play with a stuffed animal at their feet.

Jane did not tell Erik that the whispering stopped that very night.

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><p><strong>Seriously, <strong>should I change a genre to horror? LOL! I promise things will progress soon. I'm truly just having too much fun with 'ghost Loki' right now ;)

Btw, if anyone is wondering: According to the wonderful world of the DOTcoms, the Norse meaning of the name Kari is "a gust of wind". Which I found appropriate considering how Jane meets Thor in the movie ^.^

I added Gracelyn just because I thought it was pretty. :D


	4. Yr 3: The Imaginary Friend

**OhMyGod at the awesome reviews.**

My self-esteem is squeeing right now. I love you guys. Thanks so much for all this.

Look! It's a longer chapter! It's like...NORMAL people write! ;)

Please enjoy this-I promise I'm working on...things...this. Something! :D

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><p>Jane sat at the spacious island counter in her kitchen.<p>

Stared at the calendar hanging on the wall nearby.

It was two days until her birthday.

And closing in on four years since she had last seen the father of her child. As was habit, she craned her head to look to her ceiling. She wondered if Heimdall was gazing down on her.

She wondered if Heimdall was even still alive.

For all she knew, the entirety of Asgaard could be a frozen wasteland, ruled by the Frost Giants.

She bit her lip when an image of Thor, frozen in death, flashed into her mind.

His voice, his touch, and his promise, echoed within her and brought her near tears.

Another sound snapped her back to reality.

Soft, light humming.

A child's laughter.

Her daughter.

Jane turned away from the calendar and shut the horrible thoughts of a dead or dying Asgaard from her brain.

She stood at the corner of the kitchen, gazing into the den at her three year old.

Kari bounced and skipped in circles around one of their plush reclining chairs, humming brightly, giggles sneaking through every few seconds. When she would miss a step in her skip, she would stop and laugh at the chair.

Jane cocked her head to side.

"Baby, what are you laughing at?"

At the sound of her voice, Kari paused. Her light blonde hair bounced and fell into her face. Blue eyes found her mother.

_She looks so much like him…._

"My friend. But he laughed at me first!" She placed her hands on her hips, and gave the chair a frustrated look.

Kari could put on the "sass" when she truly wanted; Jane saw Thor's personality in their daughter more and more as she grew.

She was very intelligent for her young age. She was also abnormally strong.

Jane recalled the punches and kicks in the womb. She also recalled several bent and broken toys.

Fortunately, Jane did not encourage or even acknowledge the unusual level of strength her daughter possessed. And as she grew, Kari seemed to employ it less and less.

She was a gentle girl, seemingly normal.

And despite it being just her and Jane alone in the large home, she seemed quite happy.

Jane smiled.

She had been wondering how long it would take for her daughter to create an imaginary friend to play with.

She had considered, several times, getting a family pet. A dog seemed appropriate; strong enough to handle Kari's bouts of strength but gentle enough not to lose patience and possibly bite.

She had decided to wait, however.

Allow Kari more time to grow and mature before giving her something she could potentially (and accidently) harm.

Jane took a step into the den.

"Does your new friend have a name?"

Kari stood, and turned away from her. She gazed toward the windows.

Her voice grew small.

"No."

The word was whispered, and saddened. Jane bent down and picked her little one up. She thanked all who could be listening that Kari had inherited her frame, and not Thor's.

She was small despite her strength.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

Jane brushed the blonde locks from Kari's eyes and looked into them.

"He's gone now. I don't know where he went."

Jane followed her daughter's gaze out the window.

A car passed by on the road far outside their large front yard.

She hugged her and set her down.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm sure your friend will come back."

The next day saw Jane hating those words.

* * *

><p>She had just shut down her three computers after emailing the results of her current research to Coulson.<p>

Jane enjoyed working from home. There were no children in the neighborhood near them, and she was happy to spend time with Kari daily.

She knew, of course, that the girl needed other playmates besides her, however.

The fact that Kari had made one up only confirmed that.

SHIELD had provided them a home far too large for two. An entire wing was dedicated to her work. Computers, servers, and file cabinets lined the walls of the room. Satellites were posted on the roof and in the side yard.

Jane did not protest the home one bit.

The slight buzzing of the computers died and Jane sought solace in the silence.

The next day was her birthday. Tony Stark had been calling her since the previous week. He wanted to throw her a party, invite the Avengers.

Even Coulson had mentioned an interest.

Jane had not confirmed any celebration.

Pepper Potts had sent her text messages, asking her what she wanted as a gift.

Jane could not tell her that the only thing she would ask for was a reunited family.

So she did not respond at all.

Jane picked up on the sound of Kari's voice again.

More humming echoed from the den.

It appeared her 'friend' had returned after all.

Jane looked around and waved a hand into the air.

Research was done for the day. Her little girl running around with an invisible playmate was so much more entertaining.

As Jane neared the room she realized Kari was not humming, but singing.

She poked her head around the corner again.

This time, the girl was sitting on the top edge of their sofa, legs swinging over the side. She was looking down at it, singing a song in a silly high-pitched tone.

Jane listened for a few moments.

And jolted.

Her daughter was speaking another language. One she had never heard before.

It sounded similar to…..Swedish?

Her breath caught in her throat.

She tried not to sound worried when she spoke.

"Kari, where did you learn to talk like that?"

Her voice seemed to crack anyway. Her eyes darted around the room. Her heart thudded in her chest. She wondered…..

She feared….

"My friend. He taught me a song. Do you wanna hear it from the start Mama?"

_Her imaginary friend taught her what sounds like Old Norse._

Jane walked into the room, tried not to seem concerned.

Plucked her toddler from the sofa.

"Um, no thank you, baby. Maybe later okay? Let's….let's go get dinner started. You can help me stir the mac n' cheese?"

Kari beamed, and suddenly seemed to lose interest in whatever had her attention on the couch.

The little girl enjoyed cooking. Jane saw a master chef in the works.

She willed away her fears to keep them from showing through to her daughter.

Once she had Kari in bed that night, she decided she would make a few calls.

* * *

><p>It was when she was tucking her into bed that Jane's fears were realized.<p>

Kari yawned and placed a kiss on her mother's cheek.

Jane shifted, placed a hand at the cell phone in her pocket. She had more than one important number to speed-dial once Kari was….

"Mama? Is it true that Daddy is a King?"

She stopped breathing. For two long seconds, Jane could not catch her breath.

It was true that Kari was aware of Thor's existence. Pictures of him lined their hallway. Some were of him in armor—snapped at Tony's home after a successful mission with the Avengers. Others were of him in normal human attire, beaming at the camera with Jane following suit beside him.

Kari was an intelligent girl. And inquisitive. She knew that the man in the pictures was her father. She also knew he was a "superhero" like the Avengers.

She knew he was gone; helping people far, far away.

And that was all.

"Who told you that, Kari?"

Jane held her breath. Wondered if she would accidently make herself faint.

"My friend. He's been telling me stories about Asgaard. Where Daddy went? He's the King. Right?"

Her blue eyes bore into hers.

Her daughter was practically d_aring _her to contradict this "friend".

Jane sighed. Held back a tear to be shed for later.

"Yes, baby. He's a King. Asgaard is far away, sweetheart. But Daddy will come back someday soon. Okay?"

She wondered if this friend of hers had told her daughter otherwise.

If he was who she thought he was…..she wouldn't put it past him.

But Kari surprised her.

"Yeah, that's what my friend said too. I like him. He's nice. I love you, Mama. Go to sleep and maybe Daddy will be here when you wake up!"

Something stirred in Jane's chest. A flutter of hope.

Did this friend know something? Or was he just telling a child what he thought she ought to hear?

Jane slid the cell phone from her pocket.

"Goodnight, baby. I love you."

She snuck away into her room across the hall, and dialed the first number.

Two rings.

An excited male voice on the other end.

"About time, Jane! So what's it gonna be? Party at your place tomorrow?"

Jane laughed through her worry.

"Yes, Tony. Party's on. I'm calling the rest of the guys as well. Maybe even Natasha…Oh, don't give me that. Pepper will be here to protect you!"

* * *

><p>Steven Rogers stood at her right side in the kitchen, sipping a Dr. Pepper. His eyes darted to every corner around them.<p>

Noises echoed from the den, and the patio outside.

Her birthday party was in its second hour. Tony Stark was grilling God-knew-what outside, fully intent on teaching Kari the "finer points" of Bar-B-Que.

Most of her guests were among them, waiting eagerly for the much needed food.

Coulson sat at the counter across from herself and Captain America.

He nodded to the patio.

"So….you think it might be Loki that Kari is seeing? I won't lie to you, Miss Foster. We lost tabs on him right around the time Thor left for Asgaard. We'd been keeping track of his activities up until then; we would catch random spikes in energy near the compound. But he never showed himself. And he never tried to infiltrate again. When Thor left, we lost him completely. We assumed he had hitched a ride off Earth. Tried to open a gate to warn Thor. But….as you know…all connections to the other realms are severed. Which means if Loki is here….he's stuck here."

Steve turned towards her suddenly.

"Has he-or whoever it is-tried to hurt Kari? Or you?"

Jane smiled at the concern dripping from his voice. She'd always found Steve to be reliable, and inherently protective. The soldier in him commanded him to do so.

"No. Um….over the years, whoever-whatever it is…. seems harmless. But…I don't know. I really don't know what to think. How am I supposed to explain this to Kari?"

Couslon looked her in the eye.

"You don't. Don't do anything. Don't acknowledge it—him. If something happens, call me. But don't do anything else. Got it?"

Jane read his expression. Caught the severity.

"Got it."

* * *

><p>The smells of Bar-B-Que sauce and chocolate cake permeated the air in the home.<p>

Pepper and Tony had been the last to leave, both taking time to help her finish cleaning the mess that Tony himself had mostly made.

Jane sat in her living room, on the sofa. Kari was playing in her room. Jane looked next to her at the old baby monitor she'd dug from the closet. The other was placed in Kari's room with her. Just in case.

She listened to the sounds of Kari making car-engine noises. Her little girl had a tendency to be something of a tomboy sometimes….

Jane leaned back and stared at the ceiling again.

Smiled sadly.

What a birthday present she'd received that day…

_Hey, guess what? All those strange things that have been happening since you were pregnant? Guess WHO?_

Jane shook her head.

She would not believe it completely. Not until she saw proof. She could not accept the idea that he….._he_ had been…._watching_ them.

And she could not fathom the truth that he had done nothing to try and hurt them.

Something crackled from the monitor.

A whisper.

A very _familiar_ whisper.

Jane stood up, quickly. Prepared to race in and snatch her child and _run_ from the home.

She stopped when she saw Kari at the entrance to the den.

She held something in her hands. The girl was moving it back and forth quickly from one to the other, smiling with glee.

"Mama-look!"

Jane composed herself. Commanded her heart to stop racing. Smiled….

"What is it baby?"

Kari ran up to her, and thrust what was in her grasp into one of Jane's hands.

Jane shivered instantly. Looked down.

A crystal rose shined in the light of the den, complete with a single leaf protruding from its stem.

Her fingers closed around it and Jane swallowed thickly.

It was not made of crystal.

It was made of _ice_.

Goosebumps rose on her arms and she stared at it, unblinking.

She fought the urge to sob from the confirmation of it all.

Kari's voice was loud and happy.

"It's from my friend, Mama. He told me to tell you 'Happy Birthday'!"

* * *

><p>Kari had insisted on placing the rose in the freezer to prevent it from melting.<p>

In return, Jane had insisted Kari sleep in her bed with her that night.

She had made the call to Coulson. She was told to leave if she felt threatened. She found, to both her horror and confusion, that she did not know how to answer that question.

Coulson had sent Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff to watch her home that night.

It was four in the morning and Jane was wide awake.

Two things were keeping her up.

The knowledge that two SHIELD agents were outside her window with guns.

And the knowledge that Loki Laufeyson had been interacting with her daughter since she was an infant.

Jane shuddered and wondered if the air conditioning was set too cold.

Or if….

She looked to her left and saw Kari sound asleep.

Coulson had said not to acknowledge him but….

Her whisper escaped into the air regardless.

"Loki?"

She waited, heart hammering and her blood racing in anticipation.

Seconds passed.

Minutes.

Nothing.

She rolled over and laid an arm over her daughter.

She knew she would find no sleep at all.

The question of "who" had been answered.

But it would take much longer for any of them to understand the all-important, completely bewildering question of "why".

* * *

><p><strong>So.<strong> What do you guys think about this time-jumping thing? Interesting? Annoying? I'm getting to something with it eventually...I think. Please holla and let me know!


	5. Yr 6: Visits and Questions

**Chappy 5! Yay!**

Okay- finally, my friends, we'll be seeing something different from 'OOoooooo, GHOSTS..." ;)

Hope you enjoy!

**P.S!:** This chapter is dedicated to InkyJasper! You will see why upon reading my friend! ^.^

* * *

><p>Jane changed lanes; she watched as her knuckles turned white against the steering wheel, and reminded herself that driving on the interstate was <em>not<em> the end of the world.

She had only just left for the airport.

And she was already missing the comfort of home.

She glanced in her rearview mirror and smiled at the six year old staring excitedly out her window.

Kari was looking forward to seeing their friends again. It had been too long.

Not long after the 'imaginary friend' incident, Jane had decided it was time for a change in scenery. She had, for more than one reason, had about enough of New Mexico.

She wanted something completely different.

So, after long discussions with Nick Fury involving her continued research, an agreement had been made.

Jane and Kari packed up and moved to the east coast.

The little girl had squealed at the sight of New England in the fall season.

Jane had come very close to doing the same.

SHIELD once again put them up in a home too large and too beautiful, with her equipment at her disposal and the closest city a comfortable distance away. It was far too complicated to try explaining to new neighbors what all of the satellites were for, so SHIELD opted to find a home with none whatsoever.

Their yard was enormous, with a field on one side (now prepped with equipment) and a forest on the other. Hills in the distance proved perfect for what Jane knew would become Kari's new favorite pastime: snow-sledding in winter.

They had been living comfortably in Maine for three years. They'd had a few visitors during holidays; Tony and Pepper showed up every Christmas, and Steve Rogers had spent the previous Thanksgiving with them. Coulson stopped by most often, to 'check in'. Jane knew it wasn't just herself and Kari he was checking in on.

Kari's imaginary playmate had disappeared the night she received her 'birthday present'.

Jane blinked slowly and for the first time in several years, thought of the rose.

She had left it in the freezer in New Mexico.

Her daughter's voice caught her attention. Jane looked in rearview mirror to see Kari bobbing her little head, earphones hanging out on either side.

The lyrics of a band she knew as "Muse" came spilling from the little girl's mouth.

"_How much pain has cracked your soul?_

_How much love would make you whole?_

_You're my guiding lightning strike_

_I can't find the words to say_

_They're overdue_

_I've traveled half the world to say_

_I belong to you…."_

Jane did not miss the irony in the words that floated to the front seat.

_Why_ had she let Darcy give her six year old an iPod again?

She almost wanted to tell her daughter to change the song. But she knew Kari wouldn't quite understand.

Jane sighed and grit her teeth when another car swerved in front of her. She tapped the brakes quickly, and a little yelp interrupted Kari's singing.

Jane looked at her in the mirror.

"Sorry baby, people are driving crazy today."

Kari pulled an earphone out and grinned at her.

"Like Uncle Tony, huh? He's a 'manic' driver!"

Jane wondered where on Earth her daughter had picked up terms like "manic".

They laughed and planned on where to stop to grab lunch before making it to the airport.

* * *

><p>The line had been <em>far<em> too long in McDonalds.

They were going to miss their flight at this rate.

Jane bit her lip to keep from cursing aloud. Traffic was even worse than ever.

_Damn lunch hour._

She changed lanes again. A large semi was continuously swerving in front of them, and Jane wondered if the driver was drunk or just sleep deprived.

She glanced at Kari again.

"Don't worry, I'll get us there in time if it kills me!"

Jane regretted that statement less than two seconds later.

Sounds suddenly erupted into the air around her.

High pitched screaming. Glass breaking. Horns blowing.

A godawful howl that she could not place.

And then she realized it was the sound of metal being torn apart.

Jane was plunged into darkness.

* * *

><p>She heard a hissing noise in her ear. A deflating air-bag? Someone crying her name repeatedly. Shouts from the distance.<p>

And then she felt the heat.

The crying became louder, frantic. Jane could hear people yelling at each other to call….

Call? Who?

Right. The paramedics.

She heard her name.

No, not her name. Her title.

"Mama!"

Kari was the one crying.

The heat was getting worse. Jane knew, somewhere in the blur that was her mind, that the heat was coming from fire. Smoke suddenly assaulted her nostrils.

She couldn't move. Her brain was everywhere at once.

She heard her own voice shouting for someone to help her daughter.

A wind suddenly blew fresh air into her face. Her eyes cracked open but all she could see were blurry forms. Her dashboard, mangled. Blood splattered against the inside of her windshield.

A person reaching towards her. Cold rushing across her skin as something sliced through her restraining seatbelt.

And then she was on the ground, glass under her fingers, cutting into her palms.

She could hear herself coughing, pain in her head, in her eyes, in her lungs.

Jane picked up on the high cries of her daughter. Heard the sound of ripping metal. Of surprised gasps and a few distant cheers.

And then Kari's voice, in her ear, happy and soft.

"It's okay, Mama. He came back to help us."

* * *

><p>Jane shivered, her bones feeling frozen.<p>

A strange beeping noise echoed in her head.

She felt the pain returning. Flashes of the accident filled her mind.

She found she could not open her mouth to speak. Agony shot through her skull when she tried to move it.

She could also not seem to form a coherent thought. Only one word rushed into her mind, repeating frantically, chaotically, and incessantly.

_Kari._

_Kari._

_Kari._

_KARI._

_KARI!_

Her brain felt as if it was on fire. She felt tears run down her cheeks.

And then: a voice. A whisper.

Soft, yet deep.

In her ear. Or was it in her head?

"She is safe, Jane Foster. Rest."

Jane cracked open an eye.

She saw nothing but white.

Her eyes closed and darkness surrounded her consciousness.

* * *

><p>Her eyes squinted and her headache immediately returned. Bright lights flooded her vision. It took several long moments of staring at a wall to finally be able to focus on it.<p>

She turned her head to look around what she knew to be a hospital room.

Her gaze stopped abruptly on the man sitting in a chair in the corner.

He sat very still, one leg propped up on the other knee. His fingers were brought up to his chin, lacing together as he stared at her. His eyes were dark.

So was his hair.

She had seen him before, once. Long, long ago.

When he'd tried to destroy the universe.

"Loki."

Her voice was small and weak and scraggy.

He blinked at her. Did not respond.

She shivered and grasped the thin, hospital-grade blanket draped over her. Her entire body was sore, but she pulled herself into a half-sitting position. She looked around quickly, and noted the fact that they were the only two in the room.

"Where is she?"

Jane's heart was skipping erratically. She did not know why she was asking him such a question. She did not know why she was not screaming for a nurse to call the police. For the police to call SHIELD. For SHIELD to call the Avengers.

Her question saw him lowering his hands and leaning forward. He raised a finger and pointed to the ceiling.

"Kari is on the floor above us. The children's ward….Pediatrics?" His voice flowed easily and quietly, despite his obvious struggle with proper hospital terminology.

Jane followed his finger and stared at the bright lights above them.

"Is she alright?"

Why was she asking him such questions?

_Maybe because he's the only one in the room to answer them?_

Loki stood, took a step toward her bed.

"Yes. Bruised. But she will heal quickly. The physicians will be baffled."

Jane's eyes widened when a small smirk crossed his features. It quickly dissipated.

He took another step closer to her. Her eyes broke from his face, darted towards the emergency call-button near her bed.

Loki chuckled casually and she looked at him again.

"Don't bother with that, Jane. By the time someone came into the room I'd be gone. Besides, if I wanted, I could simply make myself visible only to you."

A flashback of her daughter dancing around an empty chair entered her mind.

"Like with Kari?"

He looked up, grinned a little. Jane wasn't sure if she should find it cute or menacing.

"Yes. Like with Kari. I decided- considering the fact that you literally packed up and _moved_ to get away from me- that if I was going to step back into your life, I should be forthcoming about it this time."

Another step. She realized he was right about the call-button.

He could disappear the moment she touched it.

Or he could freeze her into a block of ice to prevent her from doing so in the first place.

A flush hit her face. She suddenly felt hot, the fear and worry and stress suddenly rushing through her like a roaring train.

She pushed the blanket away from her. Looked Loki in the eye.

"What do you mean by that?"

A few strands of his dark hair—trimmed up a bit from the last time she'd seen him, she noticed-fell into his face when it tilted to the side slightly at her question.

He did not seem to know what she was asking.

Neither did she.

"The secretary. At the desk. She knows I am in here, visiting you. I am using no magic, Jane Foster. I thought, considering the circumstances, you had dealt with enough stress today."

He was at her bedside now. Peering down at her. His eyes were green, she realized. From the corner, they'd appeared black.

They shined in a way that proved he was not human.

She pondered his statement for a moment. Suddenly wanted to ask more than one question at once.

The one that came slipping from her mouth was probably the least important of all.

"Who does the secretary think you are?"

_What? Why not ask him WHY he's been watching your family for the past six years instead?_

Jane shook her head to herself, and tried to sit up straighter. Pain shot through her temple, and down one side of her back. She faltered. Felt faint.

She fell forward and threw a hand up to catch the side of the bed before she went toppling off of it.

A cool hand gripped her shoulder slightly.

Loki pushed her back against the pillow with one swift move, and Jane felt dizzy at the quick action. She looked at him. His brow was furrowed and he stepped back, once.

His gaze fell on the window across the room.

"I….told her I was your brother-in-law. That _is_ the correct term for it here, yes?"

Jane sat silent.

Stunned.

He….

What?

Her mouth opened. She could have sworn a jumble of gibberish came flowing out before she could answer him.

"Um…yes. I mean….that _is_ the right term, but….Thor and I never got married. And…."

He looked at her, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

He looked amused, for reasons she did not understand.

It made her remember those important questions she _should've_ been asking him.

"What are you doing here, Loki?"

He stepped back again.

His eyes went to the window and remained.

"I had visited Kari, first. Though when I went into_ her_ room I did so shrouded. She asked me to check on you. So here I am."

Jane could tell he was actively trying to sound nonchalant about it.

A memory hit her then, of Kari shouting in the car behind her. She remembered hearing her daughter shout Loki's name. Asking him to save her mother first. The sound of a ripping seat belt. Cold hands and a blurry face.

"You saved us."

She watched him shift very suddenly. Almost as if she had startled him by speaking.

He looked at her with a blank stare.

"Yes."

Jane did not understand. This was the very same being that had stolen a relic containing endless destructive power, and had come dangerously close to rending the universe apart with it, all because he was dealing with the royal-immortal-equivalent of Daddy-issues.

She remembered seeing him in the SHIELD compound, long black hair flowing as he used the Cube to throw them all from the room so that he could escape with it.

The smile she had seen on his face when Thor was slammed into a wall….

"_Why_?"

The question hung in the air for several long moments, and it almost appeared as if Loki had become frozen in time. He simply stood there, at the foot of her bed, staring out the window.

He suddenly turned his head to look at her.

"I do not know."

She did not have time to ask him anything else.

Silent and swift, he turned on a heel and walked out of the room.

Jane watched his dark form as it strode down the hall, farther and farther away, until he rounded a corner and was out of her sight.

* * *

><p>Over the span of the next few days, Jane received several visitors.<p>

Kari had made a miraculously speedy recovery and was set to be released the very day following the accident.

Jane allowed Tony and Pepper to take Kari back to her home so that she would not have to spend her time in the hospital room, waiting for her mother to heal.

Steven Rogers came with flowers.

She smiled when he asked her if people in this time period still brought such things to sick people.

Barton and Romanoff made quick visits, and Jane wondered if Fury had authorized them to travel across the country to see her.

Erik and Darcy were loud and panicked and fretful when they arrived. They spent much of their time asking her what she needed before she requested they go spend time with Kari at the house.

Agent Coulson came to see her late one night. He first asked how she was feeling.

Then he asked how her car doors had been sheared off their hinges.

She told him she did not know, because she truly didn't. He handed her a balloon from the gift shop downstairs, and she could not help but laugh at his awkwardness in doing so.

He did not ask her about Loki directly.

And Loki himself never came back to visit her in the hospital again.

* * *

><p><strong>Solid-Loki! Yay!<strong>

*ahem*

Anyway- the song, if anyone is interested, is "I Belong to You" by Muse.

I don't own that, by the way ;)

Lemme know whatcha think so far! ^.^


	6. Yr 7: Charmed

**Am I updating this TOO fast?**

I apologize for this somewhat short chapter, but it buzzed around in my wee little brain and...here ya go. ;)

I hope you enjoy, please let me know how you feel about the progression so far!

Also: See end notes for important crediting!

* * *

><p>The air in the room moved slightly as the figure dashed back and forth behind her.<p>

Jane sat at on a stool at her kitchen counter, watching with tired glee as her daughter moved about the room in something close to a blur.

She drew a long drink from the bottle of water at her lips. Smiled behind the plastic.

"ICE CREAM!"

Kari shouted in delight as she snatched the tub of chocolate-chip- cookie- dough ice cream from the grocery bag on the countertop. She ran past her mother and shoved it into the freezer.

It was eight forty-five in the morning.

And Kari already had enough energy to put the sun itself to shame.

She moved back and forth from the bags of food to the pantry and refrigerator, putting up groceries with speeds Jane could not fathom at such an hour.

She looked to the ceiling and wondered if Kari would become more energetic as she grew.

"The Ice Cream Cake! I can't wait!"

Her joy was both exhausting and contagious.

Jane laughed.

Today was Kari's seventh birthday.

And it would be the first time their friends would all come together in their Maine home to celebrate.

She expected Erik and Darcy to be landing at the airport by noon; they had booked their flights nearly three weeks prior.

Another rush behind her back.

"Thanks so much for the decorations Mama! I'm going to go string everything up right now! You don't have to lift a finger!"

Jane turned to see Kari dashing out of the kitchen, a bag of bright, colorful birthday décor shoved under her arm.

Her blond hair, pulled into a ponytail, flew out into the air with the speed at which she ran.

"Thank you, honey. I'm tired enough just watching you."

Jane looked into the glossy surface of her counter. Stared at her reflection.

Small crow's feet lined the corner of her eyes. Her hair was not quite a shiny as it used to be. She frowned at herself, smiled, showed her teeth, frowned again.

Her dimples seemed deeper too.

_God I'm getting old. I'll be wrinkled and gray by the time you get back._

Her insecurities were put on the back-burner at the sound of light knocking. She looked at her watch. Decided if anyone was going to show up so early, it would probably be Tony. Just because he's like that.

Her daughter's voice called in the same excited tone:

"I've got it! Just stay there and rest!"

She smiled again.

Her girl was strong and determined and bursting with energy.

But she was also incredibly sweet and considerate for one so young. Oftentimes, Jane forgot the fact that Kari was only six.

_Seven. Right._

A high-pitched squeal sounded from the living room.

Jane rolled her shoulders and stood up. Time to put on the "Yes, I AM this happy in the morning" face.

"Mama! It's LOKI! He came to my birthday party!"

Jane felt like she had been struck in the gut.

_WHAT?_

The now familiar feelings of fear and worry and confusion swirled in her stomach and made the muscles in her body coil as if she were a rabbit preparing to run from a stalking wolf.

But this time, they were accompanied by a warmth she neither expected or understood. It grew with the sounds of Kari's laughter-slash-squealing.

She rounded the corner swiftly, half-expecting it to not be true….

Disbelieving the idea that Loki would actually come to their home, in broad daylight, and _knock on the front door_.

But there he was.

Standing in the doorway, shockingly solid, dressed in black jeans and a deep blue button-down shirt. Looking down at her daughter with an amused expression as she gripped his arm with both of her own.

Kari was more or less _hugging _him.

He stood stiffly in the open door, and did not move to pull away.

She stepped into the room and he looked up at her.

"Jane Foster."

She reached up and brushed a group of long bangs from her face. Tucked them behind her ear. Stepped closer to Kari as the girl held onto Loki's arm like it was the greatest thing in the world.

Like _he_ was the greatest thing in the world.

"Loki. What are you-?" Kari cut her question in half, suddenly pulling on the arm in her vice-like grip.

"Loki! Are you here for my birthday? Do you want to help me decorate?"

His eyes, boring into Jane's own, flickered down at the girl as his body was coaxed further into the room.

The door closed behind him of its own accord.

_Correction. Of Loki's accord._

He did not stray from the somewhat awkward stiffness in his posture.

Jane recognized the body language.

It was discomfort.

His head bent toward the child that beamed up at him.

"I am afraid I cannot stay, little one. But I brought something for you."

Jane felt her eyes widen. She wasn't expecting this. She wasn't expecting Loki to show up at her doorstep seven months after he'd saved them from a blazing car. She wasn't expecting him to show up on Kari's birthday. She wasn't expecting him to show up with a gift. And she certainly was not expecting to hear Loki use terms of endearment toward her daughter.

She did not know how to respond.

But Kari did.

Another squeal escaped the child's lips before she brought a hand up to her mouth to silence herself. She smiled behind her fingers.

Loki suddenly bent down. Landed on one knee in front of the little girl. Jane stepped forward again before Loki's sideways glance stopped her.

He reached forward and took Kari's left arm. Jane couldn't feel her feet anymore.

Something in the air crackled. Like wet static-electricity.

He waved his other hand over Kari's wrist and a flash of light flooded the room that made the natural sunlight streaming in from the windows seem weak.

Jane squinted. Blinked.

Her daughter gasped and hopped in place with a toothy grin.

Her wrist jingled, and Jane saw what appeared to be a silver bracelet hanging around it. It shined, sparkled, and she wondered if it was made from something other than silver.

Jane could feel her legs again. They took her closer to where one of the greatest threats to (once) befall mankind and her only daughter were facing each other.

She could see the bracelet had three charms on it, all shining with a seemingly silver color. They were separated an equal distance from each other, and Kari thrust her hand into the air towards her.

"Mama! Look at these! They're beautiful!" She looked back at the man that knelt, still as stone, in front of her. "What do they mean?"

Loki held out his hand. Kari placed her jewelry-adorned wrist in it.

Jane wondered if she was actually in her bed, dreaming at that very moment.

Loki pointed to one of the pendants.

"This one is the crest of the Aesir. A symbol of Asgaard and of your own royal heritage."

His voice was quiet, and Jane found she had to struggle to hear him. She suddenly slid sideways, moved forward again, and found herself closer to Kari, nearly standing behind her as Loki bent his head down to look at the charms.

Kari nodded at him quietly, suddenly very subdued. She pointed to the next charm.

"What about this one?"

Jane leaned over and saw something familiar. She had seen it in many of the books on Norse Mythology she'd read not long after Thor's first departure back to Asgaard.

Loki's voice was almost a whisper, and she heard something in it….something that sounded like a combination of pride and disdain.

"This is a representation of Mjolnir, the great hammer of your father. It symbolizes strength and protection. The protection he provides to you from Asgaard even now."

Every blood cell in Jane's body seemed to heat up then. Loki was speaking to her daughter as if he were a mentor, or her actual _relative_ (Jane did not forget that Loki was not truly Thor's brother), or….

Or a father-figure.

She grit her teeth.

Pushed the strange warm feeling in her chest away again.

Kari giggled and held up the bracelet to show off the last charm.

"What's this one supposed to be?"

Silence filled the room.

Jane watched as Loki craned his head at the bracelet, and with an air of nervousness she never thought possible from the creature that had nearly _killed them all_ almost nine years prior, reached up to run a hand through his black, slicked-back hair.

The tone in his voice was pure uncertainty.

"That one…is a cat. You told me once you liked them. Correct?"

Kari looked at the charm again. Made an "Ohhhh" sound, and twisted suddenly from Loki's grasp to hold her arm up to her mother.

"Mama! Look at the cat!"

Behind her, Loki looked both amused and disappointed.

Jane wondered if it was because of the three charms on the bracelet, it was the c_at_ the girl was most interested in.

Kari whirled around again as Loki moved to rise.

He did not move fast enough.

Jane's heart stopped pumping. Her blood stopped running. She grew very still and felt her eyes _hurt _from widening so much in such a short time.

Kari was hugging Loki.

He grew very still, and his hands did not move from their positions at his sides.

The small voice echoed in the room despite Kari's attempts to be calm.

"Thank you, Uncle Lolo!"

Jane shut her eyes and suddenly felt faint. She squeezed them tighter and concentrated on keeping on her feet.

When she opened them, the front door was wide open. Sunlight warmed her skin and Kari was skipping across the room, wrist jingling as she returned to the birthday decorations.

Loki was gone.

Jane crossed her arms, looked around the room.

Against every neuron in her brain screaming against it, her voice came spilling forth from her lips.

"Goodbye to you too, then."

She wondered why, in all the worlds of the universe, her voice sounded disappointed.

* * *

><p>Muse blared from the boom-box in the living room.<p>

A string of metallic-purple ribbon was half-fallen from where Kari had strung it haphazardly above the entryway to the kitchen.

Darcy was in the den, teaching Kari how to properly 'headbang'.

Bruce Banner handed her what was left of the ice cream and cake.

She smiled at him. She had not expected the 'Hulk' to make an appearance. But he had come along with Tony and Pepper, and Jane did not protest his company. She moved to finish cleaning the mess from the counter. Assured Banner and Rogers that she did not need help.

She opened the freezer to put up the remaining birthday sweets.

And jerked back at what she found inside.

A rose, exactly the same as the one she left in New Mexico, down to the perfect grooves in the leaf. It lay right there, in front of everything else- right where she would see it.

She looked around the kitchen quickly, noting that Bruce had joined Tony and Pepper in the den, laughing at Kari's antics. Rogers was throwing away the rest of the paper-plates.

She placed the ice cream beside the rose.

Closed the freezer.

And fought her smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Credit<strong> for the nickname "Uncle Lolo" goes to a reviewer known as **dogeatdog**! It was just SO perfect. But it's **not mine**. Borrowed it. ;)

I dedicate this chapter to you for being awesome and coming up with such an adorable nickname!


	7. Yr 8: Lightning and Laughter

**Another Update**-another random chapter of randomness ^.^

Hope you guys enjoy!

I may be wrapping things up soon.

I've also tweaked the genre a bit, you'll notice.

Lemme know how you feel, what you think, etc etc!

* * *

><p>Thunderstorms were rare in Maine.<p>

It was one of the reasons Jane had chosen the state to relocate to. Aside from the yearly wintertime snowfall, the weather in Maine was mostly calm.

Kari was afraid of thunderstorms.

Jane recognized the irony in such a fact, but chalked it up to normal childhood fears. Most children were afraid of lightning and thunder and wind. Jane recalled being the type to hide under her blankets as child.

A rumble shook the home.

Jane sat at her computer desk and began shutting down her systems.

A light flashed in the window. A loud crack followed closely, the storm growing quickly. She suddenly jerked back when something moved by her feet.

A mewl escaped into the air.

Jane sighed and berated herself for being so jumpy.

Two weeks ago Kari has turned eight. They had opted to travel to one of Tony Stark's summer homes to celebrate. Tony had outdone himself, apparently feeling the need to prepare for spoiling children.

Pepper was pregnant. Tony feared being the oldest new father in the world.

Steven Rogers had shown up. Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff had surprised them all with their presence.

Coulson and Banner were absent this year.

And so was Kari's favorite random visitor.

Although Kari had not shown it, Jane could tell her daughter was disappointed by Loki's absence. Jane tried to convince herself that she had no strong feelings about it one way or the other.

Until they returned to Maine a few days later.

Kari had walked into her room to start unpacking.

And found a tiny black and white kitten sitting on her bed.

Jane remembered smiling at Kari's excited surprise. She was relieved to find that her daughter was actually very gentle with the little animal.

She supposed the dog she had been considering was no longer an option.

Said kitten—which Kari had affectionately and unsurprisingly named "Lolo"-dashed out from between her legs from underneath the desk as the house trembled with the raging storm.

She watch as he ran from the room, entered the hallway. The lights above her flickered.

And abruptly went out.

Her laptop continued running on battery power.

She sighed and moved to shut it down anyway.

A quick yelp sounded from the back of the home.

"Mama! The power is out!"

Kari's voice echoed to her ears, and Jane could not help but laugh.

"Yes, baby-I can see that. Just stay in your room okay? I'll find some candles!"

The room suddenly went dark as her laptop turned off. She instantly regretted it. From the sporadic, electric light flickering through the windows, she could make out the flashlight on the table nearby.

She dodged a cabinet and reached for it.

And stopped when she heard a familiar male voice.

Jane looked toward the entry to the hall.

A faint blue glow caught her attention.

Flashlight forgotten, Jane picked up speed and moved into the hallway, where the light grew brighter. It was coming from the doorway to Kari's bedroom.

The voice stopped as she grew closer, and Jane could hear her daughter giggle.

She looked into the room.

Kari sat in the center of her bed, Lolo curled up in her lap. His ears moved with the sounds of thunder outside.

Standing beside her bed, leaning casually against the wall, was Loki.

One of his hands was shoved into the pocket of his jeans.

The other was held out, extended, palm up.

A blue flame flickered just above it.

The light filled the room and created strange dancing shadows on the walls.

Kari pointed to the windows, her teeth flashing in the light.

"Loki says that whenever lightning flashes, Daddy lays waste to another one of his enemies! Isn't that cool?"

Jane reached up to rub a finger across her temple.

Fought the threatening headache.

_He told her __**what**__?_

She cast a glance to the man—sorcerer-Frost Giant—whatever he was, lighting the room around them with the inconceivable ability that Jane s_till_ refused to call magic.

Despite the fact that it was _clearly_ magic.

He was silent and still, staring back at her with eyes that seemed to glow in the light from his palm.

She wondered if she should tell him to leave.

She wondered if Kari would question why.

She decided it was enough to pull him from her daughter's room.

"Kari, why don't you stay in here with Lolo so he won't be scared of the thunder okay?" She watched Kari nod and scratch the sleeping kitten behind the ear. She cut her eyes to Loki.

"I'm going to go find some candles. I could use some light?"

Without waiting to see if he followed her suggestion, she turned and left the room.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Jane noticed the light grow brighter around her. Quiet footsteps sounded as Loki slowly (reluctantly?) began to follow her.

She did not look back at him. Slowing her pace and making her way to the den, the thought crossed her mind that if he wanted, Loki could shoot that fire in his hand right at her back and set her ablaze, leaving nothing but a smoldering pile of ash for Kari to stumble upon once she realized her mom was taking too long to light candles.

But she did not look back at him.

For reasons Jane simply could not conceive, she trusted the powerful, once-malevolent being striding almost silently behind her _not_ to do something that had, at one point in time, seemed very much within his capacity.

She reached the fireplace, and with the blue glow illuminating the room, remembered that there was no wood set up inside to light. It wasn't the season for such things, anyway….

She looked at the mantle above it. Several barely-used candles—more for decoration than anything-were sporadically situated on it, beside various family photos. Most were of herself and Kari. One was of herself and Thor.

The one in the middle was Kari from last year, raising her wrist to the camera to show off her favorite birthday present.

Jane felt the air behind her shift suddenly.

Loki came to stand a few feet from the fireplace. She looked over her shoulder, and saw his eyes quickly scan the photos on the mantle.

They paused briefly on Thor, and then stopped altogether on Kari and her charm bracelet.

Jane crossed her arms, consciously acknowledging the self-protective body language she was using. She hoped he would not pick up on it-but decided not to hold her breath.

"She really likes that bracelet. She wears it every day."

Her voice was quiet and Jane was startled to hear it escape into the room.

Loki tore his gaze from the pictures to look at her.

He did not respond.

Jane's muscles tensed a bit and her stomach flipped slightly with unease. She'd found, over the past few years, that she was most uncomfortable when Loki did not speak; she often wondered what thoughts were lurking in the recesses of his mind when he simply stood and stared at her.

He did it often—every time he took it upon himself to show up out of nowhere to visit her daughter.

She gathered her courage and jerked her head to the mantle.

"Um, could you….I mean….I don't smoke. I mean….I can't remember where I put my _one_ lighter. I….." Jane closed her mouth and took a long moment to blink.

She opened her eyes to see Loki smirking at her quietly in the blue, ethereal glow from his palm.

She almost wanted to tell him to just set her on fire already.

Loki raised his free hand.

Ran his eyes over the mantle, taking in every candle one by one.

Snapped his fingers.

With a sound akin to a soft wind and a sudden spark, they each flickered to life, emitting a calm orange light that Jane instantly found comforting.

She decided it was not worth the energy to fight the smile that ached in her facial muscles. Her lip twitched upward and she let it.

"Thanks."

Ducking her head quickly, Jane moved past him and headed for the kitchen.

She heard the air behind her move slightly as he followed.

Jane swerved quickly around her counter, coming to one of the cabinets high above the sink . Her fingers snagged the handle and pulled it open. Using the very tips of her fingers, she leaned up against the edge of the sink and just barely snatched the edge of a candle tucked away inside the cabinet.

It nearly fell on her head as she slipped it out.

She silently cursed her short stature. She whirled around when she thought she heard a chuckle. Loki was standing on the other side of the counter, watching her with that same damned amused expression on his face.

She set the candle on the counter between them.

He snapped his fingers again. Bright red light flashed below her face as the fresh wick of the unused candle began to burn.

Jane looked down into the small flame, back up again at Loki. He inclined his head toward her slowly.

"Is that all of them, Jane Foster?"

She nodded in silence.

The blue light in his hand rapidly disappeared.

A thought rushed suddenly into her mind.

"Wait-Kari-we left her in the dark. I should bring one to—" His voice, quiet and cool, cut her off.

"She is asleep now. It matters not."

Jane wanted to ask him how he knew Kari was asleep. But decided against it. Of all the things she knew or suspected of Loki, the last thing she wanted to add to the list was "psychic".

Instead, she recalled her daughter's excited comment about Thor and lightning.

Her brow furrowed.

Loki noticed. His eyes ran over her face and she knew he was seeing the creases around her own as they narrowed at him slightly.

Her voice found her again, quiet and not nearly as confident as she'd wanted it to sound.

"Loki….I know that….I mean, you were just-ah…" The same sound she'd heard when the candle almost fell on her escaped into the air, completely destroying what she was _trying _to say to him.

Loki chuckled.

An eyebrow rose at her.

"They're called _words_, Jane Foster. You combine them in an organized structure to form what is known as a coherent _sentence_."

Jane's brain stopped working.

Had Loki just made a joke?

Her breath escaped and something came out with it. Something she couldn't control.

"Nobody likes a smartass, Loki."

Her eyes grew wide at her own words.

So did his, briefly.

Then they narrowed, and Jane felt certain she had crossed a line. It didn't matter how much Loki had, for whatever reason, taken to her daughter.

He was going to incinerate her now.

Or freeze her into a nice nearly middle-aged ice sculpture.

She braced herself and allowed her gaze to meet his.

One of his eyes seemed a different color—red. He blinked, and it was green again. She wondered and hoped it had just been a trick of the candlelight.

He was quiet. His grin had faded. He simply stood there and looked at her. He breathed in, slowly. And raised his chin just enough to change the shadows dancing wildly across his face. When he spoke, the same calm and gentleman-like tone met her ears.

"What were you trying to say again?"

She must have looked like an idiot when her mouth draped open but nothing came out. She thought for a moment. Noticed he wasn't trying to kill her. Realized he'd just asked her a question instead.

She swallowed hard and looked him in the eyes.

"What I meant to say was….I know you….meant well. With what you said to Kari about the lightning. But….I'd really rather you not tell her things like that. About….about the war. And the violence. And how Thor is….involved in it."

She stopped when his head tilted like he was trying to understand what she was saying.

Or why she was saying it.

She let out a light chuckle of her own, heard the nervousness envelope it.

"What I mean is….the last thing I need right now is to get a call from Kari's school principle telling me she tried to 'lay waste' to the bullies in her class."

Jane looked at his quizzical expression and realized Loki probably didn't understand what a principle was.

Or a bully, for the matter.

He leaned back slightly, and blinked a few times.

And then laughed.

Jane felt her ears get warm.

The sound that ran into them was completely unlike what she'd expected from the Jotun prince standing before her.

His laugh was light. And musical.

And…._pretty_.

Jane hoped against hope that Loki was _not_ actually psychic.

She felt the contagious smile spread across her face again. Loki's eyes glowed in the fire between them and he smirked at her slightly.

"Perhaps these 'bullies' would deserve it."

Jane sighed and then jolted slightly when she realized he sounded so much like Thor in that moment.

She opened her mouth to speak.

He held up a hand.

"Fair enough. I will not speak of the war to Kari again."

Her chest ached slightly at the unexpected memory of Thor. She pushed it away to focus on the man in front of her.

She mimicked his slight nod.

"Thank you."

Low thunder rumbled outside the home. Loki looked up to the ceiling for a moment and inhaled deeply.

His voice took a sudden bland tone that sounded suspiciously like….resentment.

"The storm is passing. Your power should return shortly."

His eyes returned to hers.

He suddenly began backing away, footsteps slow and aligned. He smiled a little, and Jane found herself moving from behind the counter. Her steps quickened without her consent and she did not fully comprehend the fact that she was trying to catch up to him.

"Goodnight, Jane."

He stepped into the darkness of her hallway.

And disappeared completely.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later, bright lights suddenly came alive throughout the home.<p>

Jane rubbed her eyes as they adjusted and she immediately went into Kari's room to make sure her light was turned off as not to wake her. She made her way back down the silent hall.

Darkness came from Kari's doorway.

But Jane noticed a low flicker of light.

Looking into the room, Jane scanned the area quickly.

Kari was still sound asleep, Lolo stretched lazily across her abdomen.

The light was indeed turned off.

But a small candle sat on her vanity, its reflection causing the light to bounce erratically around the room. Jane did a double take as she watched the orange flame dance.

In the reflection of the mirror, the flame burned blue.


	8. Yr 9: Anniversary

**Wow.** Guys, seriously, I don't think I've ever had this many reviews. For anything. Ever. So **thank you!**

This chap is quite a bit more solemn than the last few, but I hope you enjoy nonetheless!

Also: I'm considering _ending_ it here. But I have an idea for an epilogue? Let me know what you guys think because I'm apparently **incredibly** indecisive o.0

All my thanks to you guys for reading this thing! ^.^

* * *

><p>She was glad she'd decided to drop Kari off with Erik.<p>

It would not do to have her daughter see her so depressed.

So lost.

So lonely.

Jane stood in the desert, eyeing the horizon as the sun lowered slowly towards it. She'd made the trip back to New Mexico with Kari in tow, but at the last minute chose not to bring her nine year old with her to the site.

Kari would have many questions.

And Jane would not know what to say to most of them.

She kicked the reddish-gold sand beneath her feet. Saw the faint outline of the Bifrost site that, despite years without use, still remained completely intact underneath the blanket of copper-colored dust.

It was ten years to the day.

Jane felt the wind pick up around her and remembered the look on his face as he'd backed away, from the very spot she stood, into the whirlwind spinning chaotically to take him away to another world.

The winds were somewhat cool, and Jane recalled the chill of the desert nights. The feel of his hands wrapping around her as they stared into the night sky and spoke of constellations and distant realms.

Jane had come to reminisce- to remember. But she had not expected it to be so difficult to do so.

She did not expect the tremor in her body or the tears in her eyes.

She did not expect to sink down onto the desert floor and pull her knees up against her chest.

She did not expect the sound of cloth whipping in the wind to meet her ears just behind her.

And she did not expect to see Loki, unannounced, sit down in the sand next to her. As if he _had_ been expected.

As if he had been there all along.

She moved her head away from him, even though he was not looking in her direction. His gaze was turned downward, at the strange patterns (though, she supposed, not so strange to him) just at the edge of his feet.

Jane wiped at her eyes with a sweater-sleeve.

She snuck a glance beside her and realized that Loki looked different.

And yet familiar.

The clothes he wore were Asgaardian. Dark and somewhat menacing, she recognized them from long ago.

When he'd first arrived on Earth and tried to take the Cube from them.

A shine glinted in the sun and she saw metal braces on the arms. What he wore was partial armor. She almost wanted to ask him if he was going to try to leave and go to war too.

His head suddenly turned to look at her.

Jane reminded herself that Loki could _possibly_ be psychic.

His green eyes softened at her slightly. Jane noticed it. He seemed to want to speak. But he did not.

Loki turned his head again and resumed staring into the dirt.

Jane sighed. It was all too overwhelming, to feel sad and alone and helpless and hopeful and comforted at the same time.

She did not know why he was there. She did not know why he was dressed in clothes she'd not seen him wear in over a decade.

She wanted to know.

"Why are you here, Loki?"

Her whisper tasted like sand and Jane realized the winds were strong that day, whipping the desert into a mini-frenzy around them. Loki craned his head to watch her duck her own to avoid getting sand in her eyes.

Suddenly, the wind stopped.

Jane looked up and saw a pale hand raised halfway into the air. The wall of sand cut off at the edge of the site, as if whirling against an invisible wall.

As if redirected by an unseen force.

He met her eyes then. When he spoke, Jane knew she would not get a direct answer to her question.

"I was here you know. That day."

She looked at him, studying the expression on his face. She found, as per usual, that she could not read it. Not like she could other people's faces.

Not like she could read Thor's.

Her silence was understood.

He nodded upward.

"I watched Thor leave for Asgaard. I watched you say goodbye to him. I heard you tell him you were pregnant."

Jane froze slightly and so many questions flooded her brain. Most of them were almost ten years old.

The one she found herself asking first was,

"Were you trying to leave? Hitch a ride back to Asgaard?"

She felt her cheeks heat up when he laughed. It was not the magical, lighthearted laugh she had heard nearly one year ago in the midst of darkness and thunder, but dry and listless.

Sardonic.

"And do what? Defend Asgaard in the name of the father that banished me? Attack on behalf of the monstrous creatures that gave birth to me? Stand in between and referee? No. I had no desire to do either."

Jane felt, with a sudden start, that Loki was probably there to reminisce as much as she.

She chose to change the direction of the conversation.

She wondered when she'd decided that they were _having_ one.

"Why have you done this?"

Her question seemed to rattle him out of whatever deep thought was running through his mind. He tilted his head a little and raised a brow at her.

"Done what?"

He sounded genuinely innocent, and Jane realized he truly did not understand the question. She uncurled herself a little, stuck one leg out in front of her and watched the lifeless dust color her jeans red. The wall of wind still pounded against Loki's invisible shield.

"Watched us….all this time. Helped us. Saved us. Given Kari presents. All of it…."

Loki's hand lowered a bit, but the sand did not falter from its new direction away from them.

She watched him break eye contact and look at the darkening horizon.

"Truth, Jane Foster? That first night, I was merely curious. I wanted to see if such a small, weak woman could survive carrying a halfling Asgaardian. I was surprised to see you alive. Not surprised to see you in pain."

Jane bit back her comeback about her 'weakness' and waited for him to continue.

But he fell silent instead.

So she pressed him.

"Okay, so you felt sorry for me. What about Kari? Were you just 'curious' about her too?"

He shifted in the sand, his dark cloak getting noticeably dirty, but he did not seem to care. Jane scooted closer to him. He watched the movement and she raised her eyebrows to urge him to speak.

She was on a roll this time, getting Loki to talk. She wasn't going to waste it.

"Yes. And I have to admit….she's...charming. Too charming for her own good."

He grinned a little and Jane found herself smiling for the first time since she'd arrived in New Mexico.

"Yeah. She _is_ kind of irresistible, huh? She gets under your skin in the best way possible. "

Jane was not looking at him, but she felt him nod nonetheless.

His voice was quiet and she barely heard it.

"So do you."

Jane felt her heart hammer its way into her throat.

She looked to her left and saw Loki avoiding her gaze.

A dead quiet suddenly fell upon them like an avalanche. The wind whispered against the shield around them, whistling and whooshing with the sand as its weapon. Jane felt the hairs on her arms prickle up and she saw that the sun was below the horizon, painting the edge of the sky pink and purple and a deep, nighttime blue.

She looked straight up and saw stars beginning to expose themselves to human sight.

Her arms crossed to rub the chill-bumps away.

She felt the slow coiling in Loki's muscles beside her. Like he was tensing for something. She felt certain he would stand up at any minute and walk away.

Or simply vanish, as he so loved to do….

But he sat perfectly still, staring off into space.

Jane craned her head and tried to catch his eye.

When he refused to look her way, she opted to curl back up in her sitting position and take to watching the pink give way to the blue and black hues of the coming night.

A thought whispered in her mind. A question she had considered asking him several times across several years. She wondered what his answer would be.

She feared what it would be.

But she felt it slipping from her lips regardless.

"Do you know if Thor is still alive, Loki?"

She heard his breath hitch for a moment. Like he was shocked into choking on his own breath.

He continued to face forward as he spoke. He sounded distant and sad and _alone_.

"No, I don't. I have been cut off from Asgaard completely. I have no way of knowing what is happening there."

For reasons Jane could not fathom at the moment, she suddenly felt sorry for the immortal alien sitting next to her. The father of _her_ child could be dead…..

And she could do nothing but think about how lonely Loki Laufeyson must be.

A moment passed.

She asked again, a question that her gut wrenched at the possible answer to.

"How long do you think this war could last?"

He turned then, moved his entire body slightly towards her own and looked her in the eyes. The green of his irises stood out starkly against the dark hues of his clothing and hair.

His brows were lowered and he spoke clearly, but quietly.

"You should not want me to answer that question, Jane."

A part of her defied his words instantly. Screamed in her head, _Yes, yes I DO want you to answer!_

But her mouth did not open to voice it. He spoke again before she could think of an alternative remark.

"I can tell you nothing with certainty. And considering the circumstances, anything less than certainty is not worth speaking."

The tone with which he spoke was a strange combination of compassion and finality. Jane decided it was enough that she had gotten him to say as much as he did.

She left his answer hanging in the air.

The moonlight streamed across the desert from behind them.

The cold seemed to hit her skin just as it did.

She shivered.

He looked at her and frowned slightly.

Before she could stop the thought from forming in her head, words escaped that immediately and inexplicably destroyed what was left of her unease around him.

"I'm glad you're here, Loki."

She watched his eyes widen by just a fraction. His lips attempted to quirk upwards and his gaze softened again before he tore it away from her.

He made a sound under his breath. A hum of acknowledgement…possibly agreement.

Jane decided not to make him clarify.

The wind died down. Loki's fingers twitched in the air and Jane felt what was left of the breeze blow past her as the shield dissipated around them.

Her teeth chattered against her will.

She froze altogether when a hand landed at the small of her back.

Slow and lulling, a familiar warmth began to sink through her sweater, past her shirt, through her skin, and into her muscles.

It spread through her being quickly and comfortably, effectively ending the shivering her body had triggered to fight back against the cold air. Jane felt his fingers flex against her slightly, before the palm settled flat against the cloth beneath it.

She did not move.

She did not look at him.

And she did not ask him to pull away.


	9. Epilogue: Monsters and Men

**Oh. My. God.**

**Over 100 reviews? Seriously?**

My friends: **Thank you all so much!**

This is my first fic to reach such a milestone. I want to hug each and every one of you ^.^

I decided to write an epilogue. In celebration of its finality, I included some heart-warming sweetness. I hope you guys enjoy, and don't find things too OOC considering the sugary taste of this final chapter. If it doesn't seem to fit, I can always delete it! ;)

Again, thank you ALL. You are awesome.

* * *

><p>The realization that her alarm had not gone off was the first thing to hit her consciousness.<p>

The next was the fact that the window across the room was now a very frozen, frosty white.

Jane looked at the glass a moment before her level of awareness grew to the point that she remembered it was mid-December. She looked down at herself and wondered what it was exactly that had awakened her:

The now ten pound, white-socked fluff-ball known as Lolo that had just pounced onto her chest?

Or the resounding echo of the back door slamming, accompanied by a very recognizable pre-teen huff?

Jane fought the extreme desire to stay in bed.

She had been up late the previous night, compiling her latest data to send off to Coulson.

And it was _so _much more comfortable cozying up beneath a warm blanket…..

She decided it was more important to discover the source of her daughter's obvious frustration.

* * *

><p>Jane blinked a few times at her eleven year old.<p>

Kari stood in the living room, dressed in her warmest winter clothes. Said clothes appeared soaked.

Her bright blond hair seemed a dusty shade of brown with the massive amount of melting snow dripping off of it.

Jane fought a laugh, and opened her mouth to ask her daughter what had happened.

Kari reached up and knocked a small lump of snow from the top of her head.

With two words, she answered Jane's question before it was even asked:

"He _cheated_."

And with that, Kari poked out a lip in a pout and trudged off toward the bathroom, leaving a wet trail of melted snow in her wake.

* * *

><p>Jane shivered in the biting wind as she walked through the snow in nothing but house-slippers and fleece pajamas. She regretted not paying more attention to the weather reports on television.<p>

How could she have missed the fact that a _blizzard_ was set to hit her area?

She followed the footprints that Kari had left behind towards the back of her property.

Tiny flakes still fell around her, and the sky was overcast. It created a gray haze that Jane found it difficult to see through clearly.

The old picket-fence that ran through her vast backyard came into view.

Jane often wondered if her property had once acted as a farm. Fields and fences complete with a small (and currently frozen) pond near the forest; she was surprised there was no barn to complete the image.

She passed the last of her posted satellites.

And finally spotted exactly what she expected to see.

A figure sat perched on the fence ahead. As she neared she could see the dark windbreaker he wore; its hood was up, faced away from her. She looked at the yard around him.

And shook her head with a small smile.

Part of the fence was covered in a thick layer of ice. It shined and reflected the lone ray of sunlight trying to peak through the clouds above.

Across the field, near the trees, was a similar wall of ice, beginning at one tree, and ending at another about ten feet away.

Between the two, small piles of upturned snow littered the field. Near the haphazard mounds of white were patches of bare ground that formed perfect circles of brown, dead grass.

Jane approached the figure and tapped the back of the hood.

A hand gestured to the disruption of her yard as he turned to look at her.

"Loki. Mind telling me what happened here?"

She did not flinch when met with the blazing red eyes underneath the hood.

Even as she waited for him to answer, a medium-green attempted to reclaim its territory within his irises. The intricate dark lines on his forehead were disappearing as his blue skin took on a more human pale white.

Jane had not seen Loki in his full Jotun form before.

But she did not want him think she was afraid.

Loki smirked at her, but she noticed it was rather sheepish for him.

An elongated fang jutted out against his bottom lip, shrinking and dulling slightly even as she looked at it.

He jerked his head toward the devastation of the yard.

"She challenged to me to a 'snowball fight'. I…_may_ have taken it too far."

Her suspicions were confirmed. Loki had taken to showing off his mastery of ice against an eleven year old girl.

Jane quickly reminded herself that _her_ eleven year old was not like all others.

Loki pulled the hood back to reveal his now normal-looking pallor. She stifled a laugh at the remnants of the snow in his own hair.

Apparently, Kari had given him quite a fight.

She shook her head at him openly.

"Sounds like something _both _of you would do. But seriously…." She gestured to the trees behind her. "Were the ice-walls necessary?"

The former Asgaardian looked at her as if offended. Jane swallowed slightly and wondered if, yet again, she had overstepped her bounds.

His voice was low when he spoke.

"They're for shielding….." He smirked at her suddenly. "Do you not pay attention when you watch those programs about ancient Midgaardian wars? The concept is more or less the same."

Jane rolled her eyes at his obvious teasing.

Since their conversation in the desert, Loki had come around much more often. Oftentimes, she would see him sitting in her kitchen early in the morning, watching Kari eat breakfast before school. Oftentimes, she would ask him if he wanted something himself.

Sometimes, he would say yes.

Jane ate breakfast with Loki at least once a week.

And watched T.V with him on weekends.

Though the past two years had brought a sense of comfort between them, Jane did not forget that Loki had once been a danger to them all.

Still, he had not once made anything resembling a threat towards either of them. Even when Jane forgot who she was talking to and spoke her mind in ways she would have never done before Loki had stepped regularly into their lives.

She was actually considering telling him that he could stay in their guest room if he wanted. It had to be better than…wherever it was he went when he wasn't with them.

Loki cocked his head to the side suddenly.

Puffs of white escaped his mouth when he spoke.

"Doesn't Kari have a sleepover to attend this weekend?"

Jane laughed lightly at his choice of words.

He spoke as if Kari's 'sleepover' was a mandatory meeting with important officials. Loki had picked up on much of their casual jargon during his time spent with them, but it did not chase away his unique manner of speech completely.

He seemed to notice that she was somewhat mocking him.

His brow furrowed a bit and she bit her lip to force herself to focus.

"She does, Saturday. Why?"

Loki leaned forward a bit, his head bending towards her slightly. The sunlight fighting through the clouds made his body cast a shadow over her as he loomed from his perch on the fence.

"I would like to take you somewhere. If you are not otherwise engaged."

Jane felt her eyes widen slightly.

Was he….?

"And where is this 'somewhere' you want to take me?"

One of his brows rose a bit, but his facial expression remained solid as stone. He'd perfected the art of hiding his emotions…

And his intentions.

"That depends. Where would you like to go?"

Jane swallowed hard.

Loki was indeed asking her out on a date.

Except she was certain he didn't _realize _he was asking her on a _date_.

She sighed heavily and cleared her head. She knew that Loki was simply growing socially. Where before he had only shown up in her life to spend time with Kari, in the past two years he had made very obvious attempts to spend time with _her_.

For the most part, she did not mind. Surprisingly, she found herself enjoying his company.

But he had never asked to _take her somewhere_ before.

Jane climbed the fence to sit beside him. He turned his head and eyed her warily. She caught the uncertainty that flashed across his face.

He was still waiting for her to answer him.

She smiled when she noticed him lacing his fingers together. She had come to know that gesture to mean several different things:

One of them was nervousness.

"Um…well, it doesn't really matter to me. You decide."

Loki straightened and looked at her squarely.

"So you will go, then?"

She could tell he was trying hard not to sound thoroughly pleased.

"Yes, Loki. I'll go. It would do me some good to get out of the house anyway."

And it was true. Between working at home and….well, _living_ there, Jane saw the inside of her house way too much.

Loki slid from the fence suddenly, landing on the snow in silence.

"Very well. I will take you to Paris. Have you seen Paris?"

Jane jolted with the sudden realization that Loki _may_ in fact know that he was asking her on a date.

"Ah….no, I haven't."

He grinned slightly.

"I have. The Eiffel Tower is somewhat impressive. I have stood on its peak a few dozen times. Perhaps you will find it as splendid as the rest of the mortal 'tourists'."

His voice flowed casually, but Jane still could not force back the laugh in her throat upon hearing him use the word 'tourist'.

Loki looked at her quizzically.

She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle herself yet again.

Hopping from the fence, she shivered instantly when her slippers sunk into the thick snow. Loki shrugged the jacket from his shoulders and handed it to her as he surveyed the aftermath of his and Kari's early-morning battle.

His voice was quiet and laced with concern when it met her ears.

"She stomped off with quite the glower. Is she angry that I employed such advantages over her?"

Warmth enveloped her as she slid her arms into Loki's windbreaker. She had bought it for him at Kari's demand, even though he seemed perfectly capable of obtaining Earthly clothing on his own.

She supposed, with a defeated sigh, that he did so with magic.

"Oh no, don't mind her. She's _eleven_, Loki. It's the coming hormones."

He shot her another quizzical look, but to Jane's relief, did not ask her to elaborate. He nodded quietly before lowering his gaze to her feet.

"You should go inside, Jane. You are not dressed for this weather. I will undo the chaos that Kari and I wrought upon the yard."

She watched him walk away towards the trees, a faint green glow coming to linger around the fingers of his right hand. She saw him touch the icy barricade near the forest. It crumbled and melted in a bright flash of light.

Jane smiled when Lolo suddenly raced through the snow, coming to a stop at the prince's feet. Loki allowed the glow to dissipate from his hand and kneeled to scratch at the cat's ears.

"I'll help!"

She tore her gaze from the scene in front of her at the sound of her daughter's voice.

Kari was running swiftly through the snow as well, seemingly unhindered by the thick white blanket beneath her shoes. With a grin towards Loki and not a word, she began kicking the piles of upturned snow back into their original patches.

Jane stood and watched quietly, ignoring the biting chill of the wind blowing through the field.

Loki looked at her briefly and gave a small smile.

He looked content, and Jane found herself genuinely happy at such a fact.

It suddenly did not matter that he had once acted so violently against them. It did not matter that he had once been considered a monster.

She turned and made her way back toward their home as the sun split the clouds.

Jane felt with sound certainty that if Thor was alive-wherever he was, whatever he was doing-if he could look down on them, he would be proud of the man Loki had become.

She certainly was.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you guy enjoyed this fic and it's Loki-ful Loki-ness! ^.^<strong>


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